A quantity of cheese in a wheel or other formed shape is commonly served simultaneously to a group of persons. This may occur at a social gathering such as a cocktail party or a banquet where guests are invited to help themselves to individual servings of cheese from a relatively large quantity set forth for the entire group, or where gourmet food shops, delicatessens or be like offer samples to customers. The usual method of serving cheese in such settings is to display the cheese on a platter, tray, or even the cutting board upon which the wheel of cheese is sliced into individual servings by the host.
Such conventional methods of serving cheese have several disadvantages. Cheese exposed to the open air may quickly become stale and unappetizing. However, it is extremely inconvenient and impractical, if not inappropriate, to keep open trays of food effectively protected with sheets of foil or other food covering material when the purpose of presenting the food on an open tray is to make it readily available to guests over a period of perhaps several hours. This is particularly important in commercial settings wherein customers may not initially expect to sample the cheese, and thus would not be inclined to remove a covering upon their own initiative. Retention of freshness is also more important in a commercial setting for the obvious reason that the cheese samples are offered not merely as a courtesy but as an inducement for sales. There thus arises the need for a cheese serving appliance which will both retain freshness of the cheese over a long period of time and present the cheese in a clearly visible and readily accessible manner.
Another disadvantage associated with conventional methods of serving cheese to a gathered group of persons is caused by the fact that not all of the individual portions of the wheel of cheese can always be expected to be consumed. Those sample portions remaining on the platter must be properly placed in storage or wastefully disposed of. Again, this is a particular problem for proprietors of commercial establishments who naturally would prefer to avoid the labor involved in transferring the remaining cheese samples to a proper storage container, as well as the damage to the product which is likely to occur upon repeated handling, especially if carelessly attended to by an employee hastily closing up shop.